


i wanna be what my body wants me to be

by cobbedcorn



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: (in some places), Gen, Gender Dysphoria, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Transphobia, Pre-Calamity Ganon, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Self-Hatred, Trans Link (Legend of Zelda), Trans Male Character, Transphobia, being trans is hard ok, especially when ur keeping it a secret from all of hyrule, it's my trans experience and i get to choose what character to project it on, king rhoam is a dick as well, no romance (yet) link is just besties with zelda and mipha, sorry if you like revali cause he is a major dick here, takes a good amount of inspiration from events of aoc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cobbedcorn/pseuds/cobbedcorn
Summary: all link wanted was to keep a low profile and stay in the hylian army, fighting monsters whenever he pleased. but the goddesses seem to have one twist of fate after another planned for him as he rose through the ranks against his will to become princess zelda's personal knight. no one can know about the past he left behind. no one can know about the cloth he wraps tight around his chest. and link doesn't know what will happen if someone finds out.
Relationships: Link & Mipha (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 93





	1. moblin slayer

**Author's Note:**

> hello lgbt community
> 
> this is my first genuine published piece that i've written! it came from a running joke i had with some friends that botw link is trans which i then wrote some notes about and now i have a 34 page google doc narrative. oops
> 
> the whole fic is already written, so i'll be uploading the chapters periodically. thank u very much to my bestie [ez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imasradiantasthesun) for being my beta reader as well as my other bestie ella who doesnt write anything on here they just like to edit for people. ez writes avatar fics and you should read them NOW
> 
> finally if you didnt see it in the tags i am trans! i am a trans guy and a lot of descriptions of dysphoria or general trans experiences are heavily based off of my experiences. i connect with link a lot and he's my favorite character so making him trans is a very comforting thing to me :)
> 
> i think thats all for now and i hope this fic satisfies a niche audience of people that also like to think of link as trans, cause this is very much a trans story. enjoy!!

somehow, the safest the boy ever felt was in battle. no one could question him or (literally) look down on him when he was cutting down monsters like a tempest. when he had started his knight’s training, his worst fear was being the center of attention. it didn’t help his case–or his security–when he had to get his armor specially fitted to compensate for his lacking height. but no one was going to call him “short stuff” when he was dodging moblin spears faster than most knights can swing their swords. if he was being honest, in battle it’s good to be short stuff.

link’s life was probably as ideal as it could get: he woke up, ate, killed monsters, ate, then went to sleep.

one particular day, link was on step two of his daily five step plan when a wrench was thrown in it. a gloved leather hand thrown onto his shoulder made him jump as he was shoveling eggs into his mouth in the mess hall.

“link! it is link, correct? of hateno village?” a bright eyed man in royal guard dress leaned over link, who swallowed hard and nodded curtly. “great! hyrule castle’s moblin slayer, right?” link nodded again, a little sheepishly. the last thing he wanted for himself was a reputation, but you kill a few too many moblins and that’s what you end up getting. he quickly shoved another spoonful of food into his mouth. “hungry, huh? that’s alright, keep chewing and i’ll tell you what i’m s’posed to. general wants to see you in his quarters once breakfast is over. you know where that is, right?”

link started and almost choked on his eggs. what in the goddess’s name did the general of the hyrulean army want with him? _it couldn’t be the moblins, could it? maybe it could be the moblins. it’s probably just some medal or something. moblin medal. medal for maiming moblins._ for the third time, link nodded his understanding at the royal guard.

“hm, not much of a talker, are ya? well, no matter. best not be late, general doesn’t like that!” the guard slapped him on the back with a little too much enthusiasm for how early it was. some eggs left link the way they came in. “good luck, kid!” the guard said, and strode away.

link rolled his eyes to himself. _not much of a talker indeed._ gods, link missed talking sometimes. it had been ages since he had last seen mipha, which was also the last time he had spoken out loud to someone. in places as macho as the hyrulean army and as upstanding as hyrule castle, the sound of his voice alone could lead to him getting discharged–or at the very least shunned into ostracism. it was the voice of…not link. he didn’t like to think about whose voice it was, but he sure as hell didn’t want to claim it. he scraped up the last of his eggs.

link knew knights that had gone to the general’s quarters for reprimands after goofing off in the armory one too many times, and they all said it was the longest hallway they’d ever walked. _it’s just the moblin medal,_ he thought. _all the lieutenants love you._ the hallway was gradually getting shorter. _it’s not like king rhoam is going to be there to personally tell you you’re being discharged on accounts of lying about your identity._ half smiling wryly at his own joke, link knocked at the door.

“come in!” the general’s voice barked. link opened the door. behind a tall desk in full officer regalia was general rusk, and standing next to the desk looking directly at link was king rhoam. with how quickly his knees buckled at the sight of the king, link barely had to think about kneeling before him. _he must know. he has to know. should i bother packing my things or just get some new clothes in zora’s domain?_

“you may rise, knight link. we are only here to talk,” the king said. his voice was softer than link was used to hearing from a balcony addressing thousands of hylian troops, but still carried the same commanding tones of urgency. link stood up, praying the king couldn’t see him trembling. _aren’t you a knight? gods, why can’t you act like it?_

“your prowess on the battlefield has not gone unnoticed. there are not many knights that are able to kill such enemies as moblins and lizalfos with the same amount of skill that you possess.” link nodded in thanks. _maybe it is a moblin medal after all._ “because of this, we feel you’ve demonstrated the skill necessary to warrant a position on the royal guard.” link inhaled sharply. _this can’t be real._ “as of late, i’ve been growing increasingly concerned for my daughter’s safety. monsters are cropping up left and right, and knights such as yourself are in high demand.”

link prayed to the goddesses that the king couldn’t read his face. he wasn’t sure if he was more embarrassed by the relief that king rhoam didn’t… _know_ …or by the fear brought about by the threat of a growing reputation. hopefully those two cancelled each other out and left his expression as unknowable as he liked it.

“link?” said the king, nudging him out of his thoughts. “do you accept this offer?”

link locked eyes with the king and nodded once again. the silent, unknowable knight. he hoped he could stay that way.

-

the best part of being a royal guard was the clothes, link had decided after a week of his new position. even though he loved his armor, it was nice to able to wear, well, _cloth_ for a change. other than the clothes, link would have gone back to being regular infantry in a heartbeat. all he did was walk around the castle grounds with three other guards and the princess. no one talked—not that link would have been participating, but he liked to listen. and since they never left the castle grounds, there weren’t any monsters either. old king rhoam had to be paranoid or senile.

link thought about how sore his feet were while he stood on duty, watching the princess kneel on the ground and tinker with parts. at least, he was _supposed_ to watch the princess. his eyes kept being drawn towards the sheikah researchers on the other side of the courtyard working on an unearthed guardian. link couldn’t put his finger on why, but the strange machines made him uneasy. maybe it was the way they crawled around, or how their heads twitched and spun like suspicious owls. focusing on the task at hand, link stuffed his worries away and put his attention back on the princess. however, his worries came right back in full force at the sound of the researchers’ gasps.

“what is it doing?”

“why is it red?”

“can’t you regain control of it?”

the machine’s pulsating eye had changed from blue to bright red, as had the faint glow coming from under its outer metal shell. the legs that had been still before were now beginning to thrash about. link had never been more thankful for his gut.

he pulled out his sword and put himself between the princess and the thing.

“princess zelda, get back inside!” one of the other guards shouted as he joined link. the princess leapt up from the ground, grabbing her things and hurrying back to the archway that opened into the courtyard, but lingered there. her eyes were wide with fright.

link had no idea how, or even _if_ he should fight the thing. it seemed…confused. for some reason, he almost felt sorry for it. its head whirred and beeped, spinning around and looking for something. it suddenly locked onto one of the sheikah researchers, and its search was over. one tentacle leg shot out and grabbed the man, lifting him into the air! he thrashed and yelled for help, but the other guards stood paralyzed.

not link.

gripping his sword, he sprang forward. he began slashing at the leg waving the man around in the air, but whatever the machine was made of was virtually impenetrable. before link could even consider a second approach, a scream snapped him out of his battle train of thought. the princess’s scream!

link whipped around and saw the princess on the ground next to where she had been tinkering with her parts. one of the thing’s other legs had sent debris flying all over the courtyard, and her leg had been caught under a piece of it. the other guards rushed to her side and started trying to lift the rock from where it had fallen on top of her, but a high pitched beeping noise caught everyone’s attention. a bright red laser had appeared on the princess’s chest from the guardian staring directly at her.

“get her out of here, now!” one of the sheikah yelled. the guards frantically tried to get the rubble off of her as the beeping got louder. link rushed in to help, putting himself between the princess and the laser. he reached for his shield, but it wasn’t there–shit, he left it in his quarters! _useless!_ he looked around frantically for something, anything vaguely shield shaped to put between himself and the blast he knew was about to come. _what was that,_ in the debris at his feet? _a pot lid?_ he grabbed it, gripped it, and planted his feet deep into the stone they were on. the beeping grew louder, louder, faster faster faster–  
NOW.

-

_“again, mipha, i want to get this.” the boy had heard he had a baby face one too many times today._

_“don’t you think you should take a break? we’ve been at this for hours, link.” the zora knew what her friend was doing. whenever he couldn’t handle the world, he trained til he collapsed. there was nothing she could do to stop him–and believe her, she’d tried._

_“come at me again,” he demanded, his eyes hard. then softening. “please?” mipha smiled in spite of her exasperation._

_link raised his shield and watched mipha closely. first one dainty step back, then springing into motion straight towards him, trident drawn, as if carried by a wave. he braced himself like a coiled spring, but was once again knocked off his feet. his shield went flying into the grass 10 feet away, and link went head over heels over ass. he sat up and tasted dirt and blood, and spat._

_“gods damn it! how much longer?” he felt hot tears welling up and squeezed his eyes shut. mipha rushed over to him, full of concern as she tended to be._

_“link, are you alright? i’m so sorry, you weren’t ready for–“_

_“mipha, don’t be sorry, i’m the one asking you to do this.” link sighed a little shakily and wiped his face with his sleeve. “i don’t understand why i can’t do this! it’s so simple! gods, what’s wrong with me?”_

_mipha placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “link…i will offer you some advice. you know what it feels like to be hit and fall. hold that in your mind when an enemy comes at you. in situations like this, your body knows what’s happening much more than your mind does. you’re so tense when i watch you. let your body guide you. trust it, link.”_

_trust his body? link wanted to scoff at the irony. when has his body ever established anything close to trust with him? but he knew that mipha knew how he worked probably better than anyone. he brushed himself off and stood up._

_“one more time,” he said. mipha nodded solemnly and returned to her position, trident ready. link retrieved his shield from where it had landed. trusty old thing. it needed new paint–something to look forward to. he planted his feet solidly in the dirt, shield at the ready. he locked eyes with mipha. “go.”_

_mipha leapt into the air and charged towards link. he wasn’t thinking about timing anymore. he was thinking about how it was gonna hurt even more if he got knocked down this time. he did _not_ want that to happen._

_NOW._

_hardened wood and tarnished iron collided with honed silver in a flash of sparks. mipha staggered backwards and fell, stopped entirely in her tracks by link’s parry. link remained planted like a tree, but snapped out of it to help mipha._

_“mipha! you’re okay? i didn’t think a parry would be that strong–“ but mipha cut him off, laughing._

_“i’m fine, silly, how do you feel? that was incredible, it was perfect!” link put out his hand to help her up and she grabbed it, leaping into the air. “just incredible, link.” the boy gave her a lopsided grin._


	2. hush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again lgbt community
> 
> thank you all so much for the feedback on my first chapter, i really appreciate it! to the two people that commented, we are now besties :)
> 
> thank you again to my friend [ez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imasradiantasthesun/pseuds/imasradiantasthesun) for betaing this once again check her out if you like atla she's extremely talented
> 
> some notes on this chapter – impa here is the way she appears in age of calamity and i describe her fighting style, if you haven't played aoc or seen someone play as impa you should check out [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_T4oqal7AI&t=102s&ab_channel=GameBurst) to get an idea of what she's like i love her sm she's so fucking cool  
> i also took some liberties in how lizalfos work i guess and added in the fact that they have a venomous tongue just to spice things up, add a little drama, pizzazz if you will :)
> 
> i hope you guys enjoy and thanks again!

link was having his second meeting with the king of hyrule in two weeks. _so much for avoiding a reputation._ the stone floor of the sanctum was cold and hard on his knee, even through his trousers.

“rise, knight link,” the king commanded from his throne. at least link knew he wasn’t in trouble this time. he still trembled as he looked king rhoam in the eyes, but he stood firmly nonetheless. “yesterday’s events in the courtyard are fresh in the minds of all the residents of the castle. i thank hylia that the courtyard itself was the only thing that sustained damage from the malfunctioning guardian. without your quick wits and skill, link…i don’t dare to think what could have occurred. the most important thing is that my daughter is safe.”

link stole a glance at the princess standing to the right of her father’s throne. she stared right back at him. they locked eyes for a moment and link quickly looked away, feeling much more vulnerable than he was comfortable with. he couldn’t for the life of him tell what the princess was thinking from her expression alone.

“that brings me to why i have brought you here today, knight. i want you to become princess zelda’s personal escort. nothing would bring me more peace of mind than knowing she’s under the protection of someone as capable as you.”

this had to be some sick joke. escort to the princess of hyrule? link stared at the two royals in front of them, waiting for one of them to start pointing and laughing at the look on his face, but it didn’t come.

“well? do you accept this duty?” the king inquired. link’s body seemed to act of its own accord as he met the king’s eyes once again and nodded solemnly.

“hyrule thanks you for your service. as do i,” the king said as he rose from his throne. “zelda, you are dismissed. link, walk with me please.”

link’s eyes darted over to the princess again, who seemed in no hurry to leave the sanctum. king rhoam beckoned link to follow him down a hall. he had to break into a run to catch up with the king’s broad strides.

“link, i trust that you do not take this position lightly,” the king said as they walked, barely looking down at him. they made their way towards the royal family’s quarters. “i have heard from your officers about your disdain for speech, but i do expect you to listen and listen well.” link followed the king into a room with bookshelves lining every wall and a desk piled high with papers and journals.

“this is my personal study. i have chosen to speak to you here because by entrusting you with the protection of my daughter, i am inviting you into mine and her personal lives. with that invitation comes dire responsibility.” the king took a large, ancient book from the desk and flipped to a bookmarked page in it. a terrible beast was centered on the pages, surrounded by crude depictions of hylian troops. although the thing was outnumbered, there was no way it was overpowered.

“this is the calamity ganon. it is a millennia-old being of malice and hatred. it came to power in hyrule 10,000 years ago, but we were able to quell and seal it back into oblivion. prophecy states that it is due to return soon, before we even know it. that is why monster infestations are growing more frequent. it is ganon’s power that is bringing them back to life.

“10,000 years ago, it was the princess of hyrule with the blood of the goddess that cast the seal upon ganon. my zelda has the same blood of that princess. we need her and the knight with the sword that seals the darkness if we want to even stand a chance against the calamity ganon. if anything were to happen to her not only would i be devastated…the entire kingdom would be doomed. now look at me link, and hear me.”

the king grabbed link’s shoulders and link flinched.

“the kingdom of hyrule needs you to protect my daughter. i need you to protect my daughter…my little girl…if any harm befalls her…” the king’s eyes clouded for a moment, then became clear and sharp just as fast.

“link, i need you to tell me out loud: can i trust you with my daughter’s life? will you protect hers with your own?”

link’s stomach fell into a pit. he couldn’t speak to the king! one word out of his mouth and the jig would be up for sure!

“link! i need you to answer me!” the king said with urgency. link took a slow, deep breath.

“yes. i will.” his voice was rough and soft from lack of use, but it was still undoubtedly his. and yet not his at all. he wanted to throw up.

the king didn’t seem to notice the knight’s strong reaction.“thank you, link. hyrule thanks you for your service.”

link went to sleep that night with his stomach still sinking. he dreamt of eyes, burning red like the guardian’s laser. all of them were trained on him. they didn’t do anything, but he could feel their judgment burning into his skin. they knew he was going to fail his kingdom. they screamed at him silently—he couldn’t hear what they could be saying, but he knew regardless. they knew what to call him—what _name_ to call him. they saw everything.

link jolted awake, sweating profusely. he looked around frantically, then remembered he was sleeping in new quarters. usually he would slip out of the soldiers’ quarters to practice archery if he was having a night like this, but there was no way he was risking explaining himself to a member of the royal family. they’d think him pathetic for certain. so he picked up the sword laying beside his bed, unsheathed it, and started to polish it with gentle strokes, like his father taught him. it was one of the few moments he had shared with his father that hadn’t felt forced. it was only a few weeks before link had left to join the hyrulean army, and his father had been coming to terms with it.

“you only want to polish going down the blade. and be gentle with it—it’s your sword, it works for you. you want to thank it for its help.”

link’s sword had come from the blacksmith back in hateno. it was one of the few things that connected him to his home, and he’d always had mixed feelings about it. he wanted to make it his own, but looking at the seal on it only reminded him some things could never change. gods, this wasn’t helping at all. he sheathed the sword so he didn’t have to look at it anymore and fell onto his back again. his chest ached with the impact. ugh, maybe he should take them off. the thought of it made him shudder, but it had been a while.

he slipped off his shirt and his fingers found the end of the cloth strips wrapped tightly around his chest. making sure to stare straight ahead, he gingerly began to unwrap them. he couldn’t lie, he felt like he could finally breathe again once they were off. but he couldn’t live like this. they’d go back on in the morning.

link took an extra pillow from beside him and hugged it to his chest. it was nice to be able to breathe, but if he didn’t feel some kind of weight on top of him he wouldn’t be able to handle the wraps being off. hugging the pillow tighter, he went back to sleep until morning.

putting the wraps back on was a force. link’s ribs ached as he slowly wrapped them as tight as he could handle. day one of being the princess of hyrule’s personal guard was off to a great start. he left his room just as the sun began to stream through the stained glass and paint him blue and gold.

the royal family’s quarters were eerily silent as he walked toward the princess’s room. gods, what was he even supposed to do, knock? good morning princess zelda, it’s me, the knight your dad ordered to follow you wherever you go and barely let you out of his sight. what’s the plan for today?

link stood outside the door. he raised his hand to knock, then stopped. for the love of hylia, just knock! he took a deep breath, made a fist, and the door flew open.

“for the love of hylia!” the princess yelped. “don’t scare me like that!” link quickly stepped out of the way and lowered his head in apology. “oh—i’m sorry for yelling…link, is it?” he looked up and nodded.

“i’ve heard much about you. i know you don’t speak, it’s not a problem with me. in fact…” she glanced down the hall towards the king’s quarters. “i don’t understand why my father has assigned you to accompany me at all. so i mean no offense to you knight, but it doesn’t make a difference to me if you can speak gerudo.” the princess shouldered a large pack overflowing with travel supplies.

“i don’t know if my father informed you, but today we’re starting our travel to tabantha to visit rito village. i have some business i must take care of there. so…go get whatever you must bring. i will meet you at the stables.”

link hurried back to his quarters and threw everything he could think of into a pack. he had never been to rito village, but tabantha was at least a day and a half’s journey from the castle. gods, his first day and he had to accompany the princess halfway across hyrule. if something happened…no. nothing would happen. link knew if anything were to happen, it would be to him. he could not fail.

the princess was talking animatedly to another girl as link reached the stable. from her white hair and tattoo he could tell that she was a sheikah, and from the large pack on the ground next to her he could tell she was coming with them. link began to load equipment onto the horses, but the girl called over to him.

“hey! don’t be a stranger! come over here, introduce yourself!” link was startled she paid any attention to him at all, but put his things down and walked over.

“oh, he’s just my knight, he’s accompanying me to-“ the princess started to say, but the sheikah girl interrupted her.

“so he’s coming with us and you’re not even going to introduce him to me? come on, zelda, how rude!” she said playfully. “my name’s impa. and you are?” link shook his head and pointed to his mouth, a little flustered.

“he doesn’t talk, impa, he-“ impa once again cut off the princess.

“oh! well, then-“ to link’s pleasant surprise she signed at him: _what’s your name?_

link grinned and spelled it out: _L-I-N-K._ thank you. he had learned to sign around the time he started talking a lot less, when he was about eleven, from a deaf girl in hateno. it worked well in hateno because most everyone knew a little bit of it, but once he left he rarely found anyone else that knew how to sign.

impa grinned at the princess.

“seems like link talks just fine to me, princess. now, let’s get this show on the road!”

they resolved to make it to ridgeland stable before nightfall and set off toward tabantha. link had never been anywhere east of the castle before. he couldn’t stop marveling at the breach of demise as they led their horses through the gaping scar in the earth. but as strangely beautiful as the landscape was, something felt off in his gut. his horse felt a little too tense. halfway through the canyon his horse stopped dead in its tracks, stomping and snorting. he held up his hand and heard impa and the princess’s chatting fade out behind him as they stopped and looked around warily too. link turned to face impa and signed: _something is wrong._ right on cue, an arrow whistled inches by his ear.

lizalfos! a whole pack of them came scurrying out from between the rocky crags of the canyon. the princess screamed, and the monsters screamed back.

“princess! stay back!” impa yelled and leapt off her horse. link did the same, drawing his bow and planting arrows between the eyes of two of the monsters as he leapt into the air. lizalfos were bastards to fight. whenever you got close enough, they leapt backwards and shot their tongue out at you, and you did _not_ want to get hit by that. link kept his distance and continued to fire off arrows at any that looked like they were going to give them trouble.

link glanced over at impa, then couldn’t take his eyes off her. she was summoning symbols over enemies’ heads that sent them floating into the air, then burst into glowing dust. how in hylia’s name did that work? he had heard stories about sheikah magic but always thought they were just myths. then he heard the princess’s screams and decided he could ask impa later.

he hurried back over to where zelda was, still by their horses. a silver lizalfos was circling her and licking its lips. this one was gonna hurt.

link fired an arrow at it that sank into its side, getting its attention. it scurried over to the knight and hopped back and forth, waiting for an opening. link got a few slices in with his sword but as expected it leapt backwards and hissed.

“link! help over here!” impa yelled. two more silver lizalfos? this was getting ridiculous. he ran over to her and fired more arrows. with another person’s help they were much easier to back into a corner, especially when the other person had sheikah magic. but just as it seemed like they had the situation under control, link heard the princess yell out in pain.

“help! impa! link!” 

the princess was half crumpled on the ground, holding her leg in pain. it was immediately clear she’d been stung by a lizalfos’ tongue—a victim could easily be paralyzed by a direct hit. and gods, it was the same silver lizalfos from before, still hopping back and forth, taunting them. what a moron, he should have killed it when he had the chance!

“go! i’ve got these ones!” impa yelled, and link sprinted to where the princess was. the monster scurried backwards as link ran towards it, but he could tell its eyes were still fixed on the princess. it reared its ugly head back, but link was one step ahead. he dove in front of the princess just as its purple tongue snapped forward out of its mouth. he began to parry but heard the splintering of wood, followed by a searing pain in his chest. the tongue had gone straight through his shield and struck his chest! gritting his teeth, the warrior pushed the pain to the side. taking advantage of the lizalfos’ apparent surprise that it had broken his shield, he surged forward and drove his sword through its chest. that was the last of them.

with the rush of adrenaline dispersing, link fell to one knee and took great, heaving breaths interspersed with coughs. he wasn’t sure if they were a result of him wrapping his chest too tight or the tongue striking his chest, but they sure didn’t feel good.

“zelda!” impa yelled as she rushed over to help the princess. “hylia, are you ok? can you move? it got you with its tongue, right?”

link got up off the ground with the help of his sword as a crutch and made his way over to impa and the princess. dear goddesses, that hurt. at least the princess was alright. link could take plenty more hits than she could. he watched her gingerly get off the ground, leaning on impa.

“we’d better get to the stable before any more bullshit like this happens,” impa said, looking a little rattled. the princess gasped and glared at her.

“impa! watch your mouth!” a grin cracked through impa’s worry, which put link a little more at ease.

“link, can you help me help zelda onto her horse?” impa asked. link shook his head and signed.

_i got hit too. i’m no help._

“you too? you don’t act like it. what in hylia’s name are you made of?”

impa managed to boost the princess onto her horse by herself and they kept moving on the road to the stable, rather shaken. everyone seemed relieved when the soft glow of the stable got closer in the evening light. impa dismounted and took charge.

“i’ll take care of the horses and get us some beds. link, help zelda down and get my food pack. i should have some supplies in there to make something healing.”

link did as he was told and helped the princess over to the cooking pot. it was strange seeing the princess of hyrule in dirty clothes sitting at a cooking fire outside of a stable of all places. she winced as she sat, and link felt an ugly pang of guilt. he was _her_ knight, for hylia’s sake! he should have killed that thing when he had the chance. he took in a deep breath to sigh, but started coughing painfully before he could let it out. his chest was in searing pain.

“are you alright? it hit you in the chest, didn’t it?” the princess asked. link choked down his coughs and nodded. “it’s a miracle you’re still conscious. most people would be on the ground almost instantly from a direct hit like that—i’ve done my research.” now that she mentioned it, his head _did_ feel a little fuzzy. impa had come back from talking to the stable owner and was now throwing vegetables and meat into the cooking pot. goddesses, it was like a hot iron band was tightening around his ribs. when did a plate of food get into his hands? he tried to swallow a chunk of potato but could barely choke it down.

“link, are you alright? you look pale,” impa said, her brow furrowing. link lifted a hand to sign something but before he could even think of what, impa and the princess faded from his view. he felt his stomach sink, and then a dull throbbing from the back of his head. and then he saw the princess laying dead.

she was on the ground in a pool of blood—a monster’s doing. the lizalfos hopped back and forth again around her body, taunting him for his failure. its tongue flicked in and out, licking its bloody lips. link screamed, and thousands of eyes lit up red in the darkness around him. he covered his mouth with his hands, but it was too late. hands sprung out of the ground and held him down, while another grabbed hold of his tongue and tore it out. they pushed him forward and into the king, who turned to face him with a face full of rage.

“my daughter! she’s gone! tell me, link, did you protect her? what did you do?” the king grabbed him and lifted him into the air, shaking him. “tell me now! speak!” link could only choke. the ground began to shake around them as the castle crumbled. link couldn’t see anything anymore, but he could feel hyrule begin to die.

suddenly he jolted awake. his sheets were drenched from sweat. he was in a room at the stable, with impa and the princess sound asleep in two other beds. the pain in his chest remained, but was duller now. he held up his hand and watched it tremble in the dull candlelight. by his estimate from what little light came in through the window, it was probably four in the morning. he slipped out of the room, grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil from a side table.

the stablehand at the registry desk had her head propped up in her hands, eyes drooping. link scrawled out a quick note: “pond nearby to bathe in?” and put it down in front of her. she squinted at it, then looked back at him. he hoped he wasn’t still shaking.

“there’s some woods behind the stable with a little pond. no one should bother you, especially not right now,” she said, her voice low and sleepy. link forced a smile in thanks, then left.

the pond was easy to find. the woods were ambient with the chirps of crickets and soft calls of owls. the glow of the stable combined with the faint sunlight just beginning to come over the horizon gave link just enough light to see what he was doing. he took off his tunic, then gingerly started to undo the wrappings. it was obvious where the lizalfos had struck him—he bore a large round bruise with ugly purple veins snaking away from the sides. the poison had run its course, but having constant pressure on his ribs didn’t do him any favors. he could barely touch his chest without it aching. he could maybe start wrapping it looser, but then…gods, he could barely consider it. if the princess found out—well, she’d probably get a new knight. maybe leave him in the tabantha tundra or whatever other inhospitable terrain they happened to be in. he wouldn’t blame her.

he took his trousers off and waded into the pond. he had found that above anything, floating in the cool water helped alleviate chest pain. he missed the pond he would slip off to at night when he was still just an infantry soldier. now far too many people knew his name to get away with something like that. floating on his back, he closed his eyes and tried to breathe. he felt a dull ache, but nothing debilitating. he’d definitely had worse before. for the first time in several weeks, he felt some semblance of peace. it was fragile and fleeting, but definitely there. link let himself smile.

“LINK!” impa came crashing through the brush with the princess following close behind—it was gone. “goddesses, you couldn’t leave a note? you scared us enough last night, then we have to wake up and find you gone!”

link splashed and scrambled to tread water instead of float with his chest in full display.

“we’re leaving for rito village soon. i’d recommend you dry off now and get your things together,” the princess said, looking irritated. neither of them moved. not being able to use both hands, link had to spell it out for impa. he pointed at himself, then: _N-A-K-E-D._ impa giggled, and link blushed.

“come on, princess. he said he’ll catch up in a minute.” impa grabbed the princess’s arm and started to pull her back towards the stable. link waited until they were completely through the brush before he swam back to shore. hylia, that was close. he felt sick with anxiety, and disgust with himself. as he redid the wrappings, his eyes were hot with tears. he did them tight.


	3. rito village's finest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh revali time
> 
> not much to say here since it's a pretty short chapter, usual thanks to [ez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imasradiantasthesun) for betaing! this one is up a little early just cause i figured why not and i don't really have a posting schedule either i was going every wednesday but like i said all of this is written it just needs to be edited and i REALLY like the chapter after this soooooo maybe i'll try and post that in a couple days too
> 
> also NINTENDO DIRECT TOMORROW LETS GOOOOOOO hopefully we'll get some botw 2 news!! see yall on the flip side

the travelers only had to ride for a few more hours before they reached rito stable. the princess seemed to be healed from her leg injury, since she was riding with no issues. impa had offered to treat link’s chest too, but he lied and said it was fine. it wasn’t fine and he was probably actively making it worse, but in his life some things were unavoidable.

they boarded their horses in the stable and approached the first bridge to the village. the air was cool and sharp, even though they weren’t far at all from central hyrule where the climate reflected the land’s temperate summers. a rito guard stopped them as they got close to the bridge, spear held close to his side.

link had never seen a rito in person before, only heard about them in stories. the rito’s feathers were naturally painted with bright colors that matched the minimal clothing he wore. no need for clothes when you’re already covered in feathers, apparently. his bright eyes met each person in the party’s own and pierced straight through them.

“what is your business in rito village?” he asked gruffly. he seemed distrustful of the three, but the princess took charge.

“i am zelda, princess of hyrule. i have arrived with my escorts to speak with the rito revali about recruitment for the protection of all hyrule. i was told we would be expected.” the guard softened up at her words, and link noticed his grip on his spear loosen as well.

“of course, your highness. we have been awaiting your arrival. i’ll take you to the elder right away.” he turned and beckoned them onto the bridge.

link couldn’t believe that the scenery around him was even part of hyrule. there was nothing like it near necluda or that he had seen in his trips to lanayru either. rito village itself was perched precariously on an enormous stone pillar rising from the lake, with little huts hanging off the side like nests. he found himself staring at the rito and quickly looked away, but the rito seemed to be staring at them right back.

“we don’t get many hylian visitors,” the guard said, noticing the various staring contests happening. “no one means any offense, they’re just surprised.”

the group reached the central village and was led up a long, spiraling staircase. the elder’s nest was the highest hut on the rock. when they arrived, he stood up to greet them.

“welcome to rito village, princess zelda. i am elder satralli. we rito are honored that you’ve come to meet with us. please, sit.” the older, owlish rito gestured to cushions along the sides of the hut. the three sat at his command.

“now, i have heard rumors, but i must hear from the source. why have you come to speak with me? the rito mostly keep to ourselves. it is rare the royal family bothers to venture out here on diplomacy alone.” his voice was kindly, but link could sense worry behind it.

“i don’t know what you’ve heard, elder, but the truth is not a pleasant one,” the princess said, and the elder’s face hardened. “we have reason to believe that the calamity ganon is due to return soon, which means hyrule is in grave danger. however, i have studied the old legends of the sealing of ganon intensely and am determined to achieve that again.” there was terrible grief in the elder’s eyes.

“i had heard this in a rumor, but i had dismissed it as paranoia…it really is true. tell me princess, what can the rito give to help your cause?”

“we’re in search of a pilot for a piece of ancient sheikah technology—a divine beast. the divine beast in question is named vah medoh, and in the past has always been piloted by a rito.” the elder now looked shocked.

“the divine beasts…are real? i heard stories of vah medoh as a fledgling, but i assumed it was only that: a story. where on earth did you find such an enormous thing?” impa smiled and spoke up for the first time.

“i’m a sheikah, elder, and we’ve been leading excavations of the beasts ordered by the castle. old sheikah legends passed down told us where to look. we found medoh sealed in the rock of tanagar canyon.”

the elder looked off into the distance and stroked his chin feathers.

“just incredible…the stuff of my childhood legends is coming to life in my own village…but enough of my nostalgia. you said you were looking for a pilot?”

“yes, elder,” the princess said, jumping back into business. “they would have to be courageous, resilient, adaptable, and in the case of the rito, a talented flyer. does anyone come to mind?”

satralli furrowed his brow and looked out the window, across the lake. the wind whistled through the hut and wind chimes tinkled throughout the village.

“yes, i can think of someone…his name is revali. he’s the best flyer and archer rito village has ever seen, but he can be a bit…disagreeable.” link watched him shake away his concern and return to the kindly old rito that greeted them at the door. “but for the princess of hyrule? i’m sure he’ll be more than willing! i’ll have a guard escort you to the flight range, he’s practicing there.”

-

the rito looked borderline disgusted when he caught sight of them.

“hylians? i couldn’t tell you the last time hylians were in rito village, let alone coming all the way out to the flight range. there’s not really much for you to do here, is there?” he scoffed at his own joke. link let himself scowl. he could already tell revali was a pain in the ass. thank hylia he didn’t have to do any of the talking.

“yes, um, hello revali,” the princess said. link had never heard uncertainty in her voice before. there was a first time for everything, it seemed. “i am zelda, princess of hyrule. we’re here to-“

revali swooped toward them from his perch in the middle of the flight range, cutting her off.

“the princess? wow, the castle must really want something, huh? well, go on, what do you need my help with?” the bird smirked. insufferably, link cared to add. the princess carried on.

“well, we’re here to—i mean, i’m not sure if you’ve heard the rumors, satralli said that—well i should start with the castle has reason to assume-“

the rito cut her off once again.

“so it’s true? calamity ganon is returning?”

the princess exhaled sharply and glared at him, but collected herself once again.

“yes, it is. to cut to the chase, because i would _hate_ to waste _any_ more of your time, revali-“ impa caught link’s eyes, and they both had to stifle laughs. he had never heard the princess say anything outside the realm of royal diplomacy. “-but we’re looking for a pilot for divine beast vah medoh, and satralli recommended you. the divine beasts are our main line of defense against calamity ganon, and we need a skilled rito pilot to aid us in the fight. all of hyrule would greatly benefit from your help.”

revali’s eyes glazed over for a moment as he looked into the distance.

“well, with a promise like that i could never turn that offer down,” he said, and the princess smiled. “ _but!_ ” her face fell. “i’ve known the story of the calamity of 10,000 years ago since i was a fledgling. i know the role the pilots play in the battle, but there is one i feel i’m far better suited for. who is the knight with the sword that will seal the darkness?” his cocky gaze pierced all of the group’s eyes. the princess knit her brows and looked away.

“we…haven’t found them yet. and i appreciate your offer, but i feel that vah medoh needs a rito as talented and…confident as you to truly be able to protect hyrule from harm.”

revali folded his arms and scowled.

“well, for all your praise i accept the original offer. just keep me in mind is all i ask.” he turned and looked directly at link, smirking. “i mean, this is the knight that seals the darkness we’re talking about. it can’t just be anyone—can you imagine this little shrimp wielding the legendary sword? i think it’d be taller than him!” the rito threw his head back in laughter. he clearly found himself hilarious. link remained stoic, but really he felt a hot knife of discomfort and insecurity stab through him.

“thank you for your time, revali. i suppose we’ll be in touch,” the princess said coolly. she turned around and motioned for link and impa to follow. impa moved, but link stood and watched as revali dove into the flight range and shattered targets in the blink of an eye. he heard the princess and impa start to discuss something as they walked, but when he turned to follow, he could have sworn the princess was staring back at him with an odd look on her face. was it…concern? no, it couldn’t be. he was too trivial for her to be bothered with.


	4. mipha's grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi besties i'm back a little late
> 
> i took some liberties with zora's domain cause like cmon what you see in botw can't be ALL of it what if they slept in little glass spheres under the water i think that would be cool
> 
> this chapter also has some heavier Trans Moments in it so i guess this is a tw for descriptions of dysphoria my poor guy does not like his chest and doesnt bind responsibly either
> 
> as usual thanks to [ez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imasradiantasthesun) for betaing mwah mwah and i hope yall enjoy <3

link, impa, and the princess soon returned to the castle after their trip to rito village, but barely got to rest a day before being called away again. the princess had gotten word of increased monster attacks in zora’s domain and was to meet with the zora king to discuss methods of quelling the attacks and protecting domain residents.

“it’ll only be a day’s worth of travel if we set out early. we’ll be back to the castle by nightfall,” the princess had said. “we’ll be meeting with the zora champion as well; she’s quite talented.”

they set off in the dewy early morning and just as the princess had promised, they arrived in zora’s domain by noontime. it was nostalgic to be back after the months of soldier’s training that had passed. he had decided he would keep an eye out for mipha, but he couldn’t go out of his way looking for her. the princess probably wouldn’t care if he did, but…the king in his dreams would. so he walked curtly behind the princess as they went up the stairs to the throne room. she was a few inches taller than him, he noticed, and his stomach churned. who wasn’t?

“good day, princess zelda,” king dorephan said in his booming voice. “thank you for coming on such short notice. did your journey fare well? and who are your companions?”

the princess bowed in respect before answering. “the journey was quite uneventful, i was pleasantly surprised. this is my friend and advisor, impa of the sheikah tribe-“ impa stepped forward and bowed. “-and my personal knight,-“

“link?” a soft, familiar voice said from the archway. mipha stepped into the room, her eyes wide. for the first time in months, link’s facade slipped away and he broke into a wide grin. goddesses, how long had it been?

“link, you know the zora champion?” the princess asked. embarrassed, link quickly wiped his face back to stoic and stood ramrod straight. he nodded to answer the princess’s question.

“oh, enough formalities, you two say hello!” the king said, smiling. link stepped toward mipha rather stiffly, but was shaken back to normal as she pulled him into a hug.

“what in hylia’s name are you doing here?” mipha whispered to him as she hugged him. “with the princess no less! you must tell me everything that’s happened since we last met!”

“mipha, you may leave with link if you’d like. you were really only invited to this meeting as a formality, i’m sure princess zelda and i can handle it by ourselves,” dorephan said. he had always been kind to link when he would make his frequent visits to the domain. maybe he had hoped link would have some good influence on sidon while he babysat him, but that was unlikely.

link started to sign to mipha and impa that he couldn’t leave the princess, but impa waved him away.

“link, i’ve got it. go take a little break, let your guard down. don’t worry about it,” she said, and link genuinely smiled again. wow, it had really been awhile. it made his cheeks hurt a little. he followed mipha down the stairs and out of the throne room. when they were out of earshot she turned back to him and beamed again.

“i’ve missed you, link. a lot.”

i missed you too, link signed. can we go to your room? i haven’t spoken in ages.

“of course! i’ll dive from here, are you ready?” link nodded and stepped forward to stand parallel with mipha. they took running starts at the same time and leapt off of the balcony, diving into the clear water below. once underwater link grabbed mipha’s shoulders and she propelled them both forward. they passed dozens of glass orbs at the bottom of zora lake until they arrived at one of the biggest ones, mipha’s quarters. they tumbled through the doorway where a spell held the water from spilling in, laughing and panting.

“mipha!” link yelled happily. his voice was a little hoarse from how long it had been unused, but he was ok with it. it honestly made his voice a little easier to hear. he leapt on top of her in a hug. “mipha mipha mipha!”

“link, your voice…” mipha said, brows knit. “how long has it been since you last used it?” link held the back of his head sheepishly.

“since…i last saw you,” he admitted.

“oh, link, that’s terrible! you don’t talk to _anyone_ at the castle?”

“i sign sometimes! but there’s not really a lot of people that know how to sign…and it doesn’t matter anyways. if i spoke, everyone would know.” they were both sitting on the floor now, and mipha put a gentle hand on link’s shoulder.

“i understand. you shouldn’t feel like you have to give excuses as to why. but it’s not good for you to keep everything inside you for so long. at the very least, you should come and visit here, just to talk. alright?” link nodded and smiled. “and speaking of talking, you have to tell me everything! you’re the princess’s personal knight! how in hylia’s name did you end up there?” link took a deep breath.

“i won’t go into too much detail, but i killed some moblins, the king heard, put me on the royal guard, i saved the princess _one time,_ and the king told me i was her personal knight. to tell you the truth, i don’t like it that much. i just…hate the attention. i can’t stand all the eyes that are constantly on me. i promised the king i would never let any harm come to the princess—he made me say it out loud, he was so serious. i was scared he would realize. but i feel like i have to be perfect all the time—really, i can’t afford not to be. so i don’t talk. it’s…not ideal, but it’s what i have to do.”

link sighed, and throbbing pain cut through where he had been struck by the lizalfos just a couple days prior. the wound had occasionally acted up again, but this time it really caught him off guard. his eyes widened a little as he winced in pain.

“link! are you alright?” mipha said, putting a hand on his arm.

“ugh, i’m fine. lizalfos hit me a few days ago. it’s still healing but it’s pretty stubborn about it.” link tried to sit back up straighter, but the pain was still there.

“a lizalfos? with its tongue?” mipha asked, and link nodded. “where?” he pointed to the spot on his chest. “thank hylia you’re alright! you know a direct hit from a lizalfos tongue there has killed hylians, right? let me see your wound.”

link frowned and felt himself close off. goddesses, he did not want to take off his tunic. not even for mipha, who’d known him since before he became himself. for hylia’s sake, she knew exactly what was under there! but the terrible feeling still lingered. link could tell mipha knew what he was thinking, and her eyes softened.

“please, link, may i see it? it’ll only be a moment. i don’t want you to be in pain, so i want to heal it for you.”

link gave in. he knew mipha was right, but it wasn’t going to make him feel any more confident in it. he closed his eyes and took his tunic off, wincing as he stretched where the wound was.

“thank you, link.” he still had his eyes closed, but he could almost feel mipha’s presence inspecting his chest. “oh, dear, this must have hurt, it looks terrible! link, did you treat this at all?”

“i couldn’t, i was at a stable with the princess and impa, that sheikah girl. impa offered me a poultice, but there was nowhere i could have put it on.” mipha sighed and made a little thinking noise.

“alright, does it hurt if i go like this?” link with his eyes still closed suddenly felt pressure on the wound, and he yelped and flinched. “sorry! is it really that bad?”

“it did hurt, but you startled me too. i just…haven’t been touched in a while, i guess. at least not gently, since i do get smacked a lot by other soldiers.” mipha sighed audibly again, but link could tell there was a smile on her face.

“i’m going to heal you now, ok? hold still, please.” link felt mipha’s cool hands lay on top of the wound, and just barely heard her whispering a blessing to the goddesses. the pain in his chest trickled away into nothing. link grinned and took a full breath.

“thank you so much, mipha, you’re incredible. could you hand me my tunic?” he sat up and held out his hand, but mipha put hers on his wrist and made him lower it.

“one more thing, link. when was the last time you actually looked at your chest?” mipha asked. she sounded like she already knew the answer.

“i…i don’t remember. not since i joined the army, at least.”

“it would do you some good to open your eyes and look. i hate to make you do this, but it’s for your own health,” mipha said.

goddesses, link did not want to do that. he realized he was squeezing his eyes even more tightly shut. he knew what he had been doing, and he knew what he was going to see was probably bad. hylia, fine. for mipha’s sake.

link opened his eyes. he was looking at mipha, but he made himself look down. at himself. he twitched a little bit as what he was seeing started to register in his brain. good goddesses, when did all those bruises get there? they were all pretty uniform: angry blue and purple, about the same size, and all sneaking out from under—oh. his wrapping. suddenly every little pang of knowing guilt that he’d felt over the past nine months when he wrapped too tight was coming back tenfold. that awful feeling coupled with the guilt and embarrassment made everything come tumbling out.

“goddesses, i’m so sorry mipha, i know i’ve been doing it too tight and it really hurts sometimes but if i do it any looser i can’t even let myself be seen, i know i just need to suck it up and be safe but then _i_ don’t feel safe in my body and i’m sorry you had to see, i’m so stupid for letting it get this bad and i’m sorry you have to worry about me–” he felt hot tears welling in his eyes and cut himself off, going to wipe his face but quickly burying it in his hands once he realized crying was inevitable.

“link…” he felt mipha wrap her arms around him. “you don’t need to apologize for anything. i can’t imagine what a single day in your life must be like. i want you to take care of yourself but you can’t feel like you owe that to me or it’ll be even worse for you.” link was breathing heavily, trying to get control of himself again. mipha rubbed his back, being gentle around the bruises. “you’re my best friend, link. i care about you because you care about me. it’s a river that runs both ways.” as he breathed, deep and slow, link felt some invisible weight being lifted from him. mipha released him and put her hands on his shoulders.

“i’ve healed the bruises for you. you seem like you were so used to them you didn’t even notice the pain they were causing, but i hope you feel better now,” mipha said. link quickly glanced down at his chest, and sure enough the bruises were gone. he felt lighter and his lungs felt fuller. “promise me, link—let yourself breathe every once in a while, alright?”

link pulled her into a tight hug.

“i promise.”


	5. malice and light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good evening besties
> 
> this one has no beta so if i wrote some incomprehensible sentences with like five fucking commas that is on ME
> 
> the hinox in this chapter is infected with malice which is something i stole from age of calamity (malice enemies were BITCHES to fight lol), i really liked exploring how malice would affect a person cause that shit is fucked up
> 
> anyways ENJOY

within the following week of the meeting in zora’s domain, all four champions were summoned to the castle. link was very happy to have mipha around, but not so enthusiastic about revali. the other two were a goron named daruk and a gerudo named urbosa. link quickly took a liking to daruk—he was loud, carefree, and liked food as much as link did. he had started calling link “little guy”, which from another hylian would have irritated him, but daruk was more than double his height. any hylian is a little guy to a goron.

urbosa, on the other hand, terrified link. she had only shown him kindness in their interactions, but she was the chief of the gerudo and showed it through the way she held herself. apparently she and the princess had known each other for a while, and they had spent a lot of time catching up with each other.

the princess’s plan seemed to be to get the champions to start cooperating with each other. the five were diplomatic, but link knew that wouldn’t be enough if they were going to be what stood between hyrule and calamity ganon.

they were eating dinner one night when the princess announced that she would be accompanying the champions on a journey the next day.

“i’ve been observing the four of you get to know each other over these past few days, and i must say i am pleased with the progress i’ve seen.” she seemed nervous as she spoke, link noticed, like when she spoke with revali for the first time. “i see no better time than now to continue our team bonding by making this journey together. i could do it myself, but…the matter of the journey concerns all of you as well.”

revali looked skeptical as he picked apart his salmon.

“and are you going to tell us where it is we’re going, princess? or is blind faith part of our team building as well?” he snickered insufferably. it wasn’t even that funny, for hylia’s sake. thankfully urbosa glared at him, and she scared revali just as much as she scared link.

“don’t disrespect the princess. zelda, please, go on.”

link found great solace in seeing revali shut up. the princess smiled at the gerudo chief.

“thank you, urbosa. we’ll be going to the great hyrule forest. this is where legend says the sword that seals the darkness lays dormant. it’s supposedly guarded by an ancient spirit, the great deku tree. if all this is true, it could help us gain insight on both the sword and the knight who will wield it. are there any questions on the matter?”

daruk raised his hand, and the princess giggled a little.

“daruk, you don’t have to raise your hand. you can just ask your question.” the goron put his hand down and cleared his throat.

“aherm, ah, sorry princess. um, aren’t there…” he paused and looked almost embarrassed. “… _ghosts_ in the great hyrule forest?”

revali snorted and let out a squawk of laughter.

“yes, and there are zora living in gerudo too! don’t tell me you actually believe those stories?” daruk looked defensive.

“as a matter of fact, i do! better safe than sorry, don’t you think?” the princess spoke up again, looking a little irritated.

“we are going to the forest whether there’s ghosts in it or not. i’ve heard the stories too and there must be a logical explanation for them, i just know it.”

the seven met in the great hall the next morning, all packed with varying degrees of preparedness. link went over to go talk to mipha, who was inspecting her trident. he could tell she had been polishing it the night before from the care she was taking. she looked up from it and smiled as she noticed link walking over.

“have you heard anything more from the princess about the forest?” she asked. link frowned and shook his head.

_she doesn’t tell me anything. i’m just her knight._

“hmm…well, i suppose we’ll learn as we go.”

-

“princess, don’t you think that tree looks…familiar?” impa asked tentatively. the princess was getting frustrated.

“they all look familiar, alright! they’re trees! we must be getting close to the center of the forest by now.” the princess stopped and turned to look at the rest of the group, thinking. “revali, perhaps you could fly up and give us a location-“

“in this fog? sorry princess, but i wouldn’t be able to find my way back down.” link was surprised that the rito looked genuinely regretful.

a sudden _CRACK_ made everyone draw their weapons, turning back to where they heard the sound. but the only person there was daruk, standing on a large branch he had just snapped and looking sheepish. the group let out a collective sigh.

“i think that maybe we’re all just a bit on edge,” mipha said, trying to bring the group back together. “i’m sure we’ll make it to the deku tree soon.”

“now, i hate to contradict mipha’s sentiments, but…does anyone else feel like we’re being watched?” urbosa asked warily. she still had a firm grasp on her scimitar. link was about to put away his sword to sign that he agreed, but he got lucky that he didn’t.

screeching terribly, a horde of black and silver bokoblins came scrambling out of the fog surrounding the forest path. moblins of the same colors followed closely behind, dragging their enormous clubs. the six instinctively made a circle around the princess as the monsters began to attack.

the six skilled fighters easily felled the monsters coming at them, but more just kept coming. every time link dodged a moblin’s club and got his hits in, there was another one right behind him waiting to knock his feet out from under him. although he leapt back up easily every time, he could see that some of his companions weren’t going to last if the waves of attacks kept coming. he glanced back at the princess, whose eyes were darting in every direction. she was terrified—had she ever even been in a fight like this before?

in his moment of distraction a moblin spear jabbed straight into his chest knocked him to the ground again. he started to get back up, but felt something—a low rumble from the earth, like something enormous falling to the ground. he quickly rolled out of the way of a descending club and felt it again, even stronger. what could that possibly—no. hylia, it couldn’t be.

he could hear the rumbles now as he leapt back on his feet and turned to where they were coming from. through the fog he could just barely see movement. he squinted and suddenly the movement was a lot more clear when an uprooted tree came barreling at him out of nowhere. there was only one thing in hyrule that could pick up and throw a tree like that, and link had experienced it firsthand only once.

“hinox!” impa yelled as the great beast finally came into view, crashing through the trees. it was enormously round and fat as link remembered, but this one’s coloring was different from any monster he had seen before. was it…glowing?

as it got closer link could see more clearly that there was… _energy_ of some kind radiating off of it. a strange sense of unease started to creep up from link’s chest and ran cold through his blood. the thing turned and looked directly at link with its one grotesque eye and a wave of dread made link drop to one knee and nearly throw up. link knew that eye—from his dreams that left him panting and sweating in the middle of the night. what in hylia’s name was this thing?

he looked back to the princess. she had fallen to the ground too and was visibly trembling. link had to get her out of there now.

he forced himself back on his feet and ran to grab the princess’s hand. she flinched when he touched her, like he was snapping her out of something. he jerked his head in the direction the path was leading, away from the ambush. as he pulled the princess up from the ground she looked at him with concern.

“you-you felt it too, didn’t you? the…the feeling? like the world was ending…”

link only grabbed her hand and started to pull her down the path. she broke into a run, occasionally glancing back at the fight.

“the hinox is following us!” she cried. link knew he could run faster, but there was no way she could keep up with him. he could see the fog beginning to clear up ahead—they must be close to the center! he could hold it off long enough for the princess to get to safety.

he pulled her in front of him and pointed up the path, jerking his head again. she looked like she was going to protest, but swallowed it and nodded. the princess ran up the path as link drew his sword to face the beast.

the only thing close enough to the ground for him to hit was the thing’s legs, which were wrapped in two crude metal guards. the chances of link getting through them were slim, but he had to try. gripping his sword, he sprinted in between its legs before it could realize what was going on. goddesses, he could barely withstand the evil energy radiating off the thing now that he was so close to it. _fight it. kill it. you have to._

with all the force he could muster, he swung at its leg plates. sparks flew as the metals connected, but nothing else. he gritted his teeth and swung again: nothing. with one final scream of rage he swung and as it connected, his blade shattered. link was now holding a hilt with a few inches of metal attached to it. with no other options left and the blade he had depended on since childhood now laying in pieces at his feet, link turned and sprinted up the path.

it just…broke? just shattered in his hands? he pushed it to the back of his mind as he ran. without looking he knew the hinox was following close behind him—the ground was rumbling with each step and the awful creeping feeling wasn’t going away. he could see a clearing just up ahead and with one final burst of energy ran into the light.

he turned and saw the princess who started to say something, but his foot suddenly caught a root as he was running to the center of the clearing. before he could react, his momentum sent him flying into the ground, and his head into a stone slab. _uuuuuuugh._ he tried to get back up quickly but his head did not like that. just-just one second…goddesses, it was throbbing like crazy. he lifted a hand to his forehead and felt blood.

a scream cut through link’s haze. he forced himself up and saw the hinox grab the princess and hold her in the air, grinning terribly. link instinctively reached for his sword, but it wasn’t there. oh hylia, this was the moment he’d been fearing. the princess screamed again, thrashing around in the thing’s grip. the world began to close in around him—goddesses, he couldn’t breathe. his chest hurt almost as much as his head, oh, goddesses mipha, he was sorry. this was his fault.

_link._

link realized he was squeezing his eyes shut and opened them with a jolt. who said his name?

_LINK._

he looked to where it was coming from. on top of the stone slab he had fallen on a sword was planted blade down. it might have been glowing softly, but it could have been because he probably had a concussion. but that voice…it was calling to him. he pulled himself toward the sword and felt the awful feeling start to subside. time seemed like it was barely passing as he reached out to grab it. he could feel energy radiating from it, but it was the polar opposite of whatever the hinox was infected with. the pain in his head was going away and the air in his lungs felt full and clear. now on his feet, he grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands.

if link had wanted to let go, he didn’t think he could have. energy immediately sent shock waves coursing up his arms and dispersing through his body. he heard voices—dozens? hundreds?—speaking to him at once.

_link! take the sword! link. hyrule needs you! link! link. zelda! link. you’re not alone. link! link. GO!_

with the might of many heroes, link pulled the sword from the stone. as it left its resting place a blast of energy did as well, originating from the stone platform he was standing on. with the pain gone from his head, link could tell the sword was definitely glowing.

he charged toward the hinox, blood pounding in his ears. whatever energy that had come out of the sword must have stunned it, because it had dropped the princess and was sitting prone on the ground. link took a flying leap, sword above his head, and plunged it deep into the beast’s chest. the moment he did, he felt the awful anxiety leave his chest. it let out one final scream and crumbled into dust.

link dropped to his knees, taking heaving breaths. just then, impa and the champions came running into the clearing. impa and urbosa ran to the princess and helped her up. she seemed to be fine, thank hylia. in fact, she pushed the two of them away and ran to link, stumbling a few times.

“link! link, you—the sword—you’re the—“ she stumbled again and fell to one knee in front of link, panting and coughing.

“…i don’t believe it,” impa said softly. all eyes turned to link, face covered with dried blood and mud all over his clothes. the sword in his hands still glowed faintly.

“what? _him?_ it can’t be!” revali angrily crowed.

link looked at all of them, full of confusion. the princess reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch.

“link…that is the master sword. you…you are the chosen knight. you will be the one to seal ganon.”

link stared down at the sword he was holding, his vision tunneling. him? oh hylia, why him? first the royal guard, then the princess’s knight, then this—all of hyrule was going to know who he was. all of hyrule was going to know. what kind of cruel fate was this? he realized he was shaking, and he heard mipha’s voice faintly.

“ _link!_ ” he jolted back to reality. “are you alright?” she knelt down beside him and looked into his eyes. he could tell she saw his fear.

 _i’m ok,_ he signed. _we should leave._

he remained on his knees and listened as mipha passed the message on to the rest of the group. he didn’t want this sword or this fate. he missed hateno, and visits with mipha when everything was ok, and even…his father. oh goddesses, his old sword. he felt tears in his eyes and forced them to stay there. his chest ached and would stay that way until it went away by itself. mipha offered him a hand to help him up, but he lifted himself up instead. he felt a stabbing pain in his chest from the moblin spear, but it would have to wait. everyone was watching him. knights didn’t cry.

“link…”

a deep, ancient voice rustled through the leaves of the trees, and link could tell he wasn’t the only one who heard it. everyone else had startled at the sound. the words sounded like they’d come from the center of the clearing, so he turned to look but saw no one.

“chosen hero of hyrule…”

link rubbed his eyes. was the tree at the center of the forest…moving? he heard zelda gasp and turned to see her drop to one knee in a show of respect. one by one the rest of the group followed her.

“i have been waiting for you.” the voice was warm with the wooden creaks of an old forest. link felt like he had heard it before a long time ago. finally, he realized the voice wasn’t coming from the tree—it was the tree.

“great deku tree…” the princess said, her voice trembling. “we are honored to be in your presence.”

now link could make out a face made of burls and twisted branches on the enormous cherry blossom tree. the eyes crinkled into a smile.

“thank you, princess.” the deku tree’s voice was slow and precise. he had probably had hundreds of years to think about what he was going to say in this moment. “link, we have met before, several times. different times, and different bodies, but our souls remain familiar. i have watched over this sword for many years now, waiting for you to find it in your moment of need. i am glad it has finally come.”

the tree’s smile faded and his branches became stern again.

“however, your fate is not an envious one. you and the princess are destined to face the calamity, and the finding of this sword means that day draws ever closer. i have witnessed its signs more and more often with the monsters that plague my forest. you both must do everything in your power to prepare.”

“great deku tree!” for a moment the princess sounded desperate, which startled link. however, the words that followed were back to her expected poise. “do you…have any guidance for my preparations?”

the deku tree sighed, sending a breeze whistling through the forest.

“i can see now…your sealing powers have not been awakened yet.”

the princess shrunk into herself.

“i can sense the mark of the goddess on you and the trials you have put yourself through…but i am sorry princess. i cannot help you here.”

link saw urbosa lean over and put a gentle hand on the princess’s shoulder.

“i remain here, this forest is my own. i will always be here to watch over the sword once more. remember that, link. remember, princess. now go.”

the deku tree’s eyes slipped shut, and link could tell their conversation was over. the group rose one by one, and they left.

link was leading the group, but the princess sped up to match his pace. he looked at her with confusion as to why she would want to walk with him.

“link, what you did back there for me...i suppose i want to say—i mean, sign, i have learned a bit of sign language—is um, oh, what was it—“

she looked at her right hand for a moment, then remembrance dawned on her. she lifted it to her chin, touched it with her fingertips then brought it out and away from her face. she smiled at her knight and despite everything, he found a smile to give back.

_thank you._


End file.
